<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Children by jedi_dragon_demigod_bender</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24049237">Children</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedi_dragon_demigod_bender/pseuds/jedi_dragon_demigod_bender'>jedi_dragon_demigod_bender</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 17:09:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,580</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24049237</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jedi_dragon_demigod_bender/pseuds/jedi_dragon_demigod_bender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Gaang acts like the kids they're supposed to be.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mai/Zuko (Avatar), The Gaang &amp; The Gaang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Children</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My first fic! Hope it's not too bad! I am an absolute novice!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I – former crown prince Zuko sprinted after Aang, set on capturing the Air Nomad Avatar as I expertfully dodged the pillars of snow Aang was causing to erupt from the ground. I shouted rather unflattering names at the Airbender as I chased him. Ducking down occasionally to scoop up handfuls of fresh, powdery snow to hurl at him. Aang, annoyingly, proved infinitely hard to catch, which did nothing to alleviate my frustration. He and Katara had thought it was a good idea to make the rain that was previously battering relentlessly at eh deserted summer home of the Fire nation royal family into snow and was taking turns keeping it that way. Aang, that rascal, decided to ‘invite’ me to join in on a snowball fight by chucking snow at my face! I was, unsurprisingly, furious. </p><p>“You’ll pay for this, Aang!” I yelled, throwing another handful of snow which he, annoyingly, evaded.  </p><p>“Not a chance!” he taunted and made a geyser of snow erupt a whiles in front of me.  </p><p>That was how we spent the next few minutes, me threatening him and him throwing witticisms back at me. In those minutes, I felt a smile creep across my face, growing wider and wider. Soon I began to hear peals of laughter that, to my great surprise, belonged to me! Aang, it seems, came to the same conclusion and, possibly due to his surprise, he tripped. </p><p>That was all I needed as my snowball sailed straight into his face. I leaped on top of him and we rolled across the snow. It was piercing cold and normally I would scoff at myself for what I was doing, tell myself to go practice forms or something. But I realized, as I lay in the snow, I hadn’t been happy like this for a long time.  lying in the snow, I could almost imagine that we were normal kids, no an exiled prince, not the Avatar. I could almost forget the threat of Sozin’s Comet, of Ozai, Azula, and imagine I was just a normal teen, enjoying the snow day with some friends.  </p><p> </p><p>I hurriedly snapped out of memory lane while trying to figure out what goes where on my way-to-complicated Firelord robe. Sokka once joked that Firelords don’t know how to dress themselves since servants usually do it for them. Technically, that’s ceremonial – though he’s not far from his mark. In my defense, the robes are really complicated. I considered asking for a servant’s help myself as I was running late for my many meetings and other jobs today, but I was almost finished and didn’t see the point. I began making my way across the courtyard at a run whilst trying to pull my hair into some semblance of a topknot – getting some curious stares from the servants and other residents of the palace.  </p><p>As I sped into the courtyard, I nearly did a faceplant in the snow. </p><p>“Wha-!”  I shouted as I did a near backflip to avoid the faceplant. </p><p>It turned out that it was pointless as I just slipped on another patch and fell on my back, luckily, onto another heap of snow. I lay there making sure that nothing was broken and wondering why the heck there was snow in the Fire nation – sure, it was chilly and rainy today but not cold enough for snow! It was at that moment that Toph came into my peripheral vision. </p><p>“Hey Sparky, y’all right?” she asked, sounding surprisingly apprehensive. </p><p>“I’m running late for various meetings, appointments and such and I just tripped and fell in snow that isn’t even supposed to be here. What do you think?” I asked her wryly. </p><p>Sokka decided to join the party. </p><p>“Uh, about that, jerkbender,” he muttered nervously, “we sorta cancelled all your stuff for today – s'not a joke! Pleasedon’tkillus!” </p><p>“Uhhh,” I groaned as I got to my feet, “with all the things happening here I won’t have the energy, or time, or even a drive to kill you. However, can you please explain to me why you decided it was a good idea to do that?” </p><p>I made it sound like I was joking, but it was true, I was tired, mentally and physically. I didn’t want anyone to know but I was – am, scared, tired and so, so, alone. I couldn’t remember what it felt like before the responsibilities, stress, expectations and worry, although that may be because there never was a time like that – or, at least, none that I could recall. </p><p>“uh, yeah, about that, sifu hotman, err, we – uh, we, I... it’s... um...” with that, I knew it was Aang, and he, like the time we were in hiding, turned rain into snow. </p><p>“So,” I said pleasantly, “why is it a good idea to turn the rain in the palace courtyard into snow?” </p><p>“Actually, it was my idea.” A voice who I recognized was my girlfriend Mai’s said. </p><p>She sounded utterly bored, so it probably took a long time to turn the rain into snow that will stay – but then, Mai always sounded bored. </p><p>“You’re running yourself ragged Zuko, we all are worried about you.” Mai said gently, “there are others here who can take care of some of the problems. You need a break or you’ll collapse and I'm, we’re going to make sure you take care of yourself.” she sounded worried, which made me wonder how obvious I was. </p><p>“You’re not.” said Katara, jumping off from one of the porch roofs. </p><p>It was concerning that I didn’t notice her, I'm usually more attentive to my surroundings than that. Other than that, I was utterly baffled as to what Katara was talking about. </p><p>“Not obvious, I mean.” she clarified, “We’d just be terrible friends if we didn’t notice you collapsing under the work and whatever Firelords do.” </p><p>“Yeah!” Aang said, looking relieved now that Katara was here, ”So we – mostly Mai, really, took it upon ourselves to help you chillax a bit!” </p><p>“In that case,” I said, a mischievous smile creeping up my face - it probably wasn’t a becoming expression for the Firelord’s image, but for once, I didn’t care, "since my schedule is apparently cleared for today and it’s pointless to try to fix it and probably will end with horrible moods for everyone...anyone wanna have a snowball fight?” </p><p>“Why not,” Mai says with a yawn, “i was quite bored anyways.” </p><p>Katara didn’t say anything, she only bent twin geysers of snow at Sokka and Toph who both shrieked but didn’t do anything – it is unwise to battle a waterbender on snow. </p><p>“i dunno,” Aang said hesitantly, “there’s lots of people that I don’t know really well here and are probably expecting the Avatar to be more controlled and proper.” </p><p>“Aang, you’re still 12 and you’ve saved the world and been through so much.” Katara whispered as she sided up to Aang “You deserve to be a kid for once. If it really bothers you though, do it for Zuko. If you don’t play, he might feel obliged not to either, being the Firelord and all.” </p><p>“I - I'm not sure, I’ll try.”Aang whispered back. </p><p>I was warmed by my friends’ actions. But the fact that Aang now cared about how he’d appear to people as the Avatar was a depressing occurrence. After all, Aang was probably the most playful of everyone. </p><p>Deciding to try and break up the tension, I quickly scooped up a handful of snow and threw it at Aang. Copying his technique to ‘invite’ others to a snowball fight. </p><p>“This is revenge for when we were kids!” I shouted as I ran.  </p><p>My eyes widened as I realized my slip up – fortunately, no-one else did. </p><p>In all honesty, though, it felt that way. During my time in exile, in hiding, on the run, in Ba-Sing-Se as a refugee, my entire life before I became Firelord, really, I had chances to be a kid. Now, though, with the prying eyes of the palace, nobles who waited for me to slip up – I am still a child to them, nothing I accomplish will change that, and others, watching and expecting. I hadn’t had a chance to have fun since I became Firelord, to do something for my own pleasure and not just what someone else wanted. </p><p>Aang spluttered as the snow hit him and chased me around, laughter filled the crisp morning air and now, none of us were surprised when mine joined in. </p><p>For the next few hours, we built snowmen – and women, threw – or bent snow to hit each other and had our first proper ‘playdate’ - without other reasons, just spending time together as friends. At last, we all collapsed on the snow, cold, exhausted, but happy and free, free of all the worries and stares and expectations we were usually faced with. That, however, lasted only until we noticed that half the palace was watching us – from various curious places, might I add. Quickly, we composed ourselves as much as we could so that we didn’t look like we were having something as improper as a snowball fight, it worked – mostly. As we hurried out of the courtyard, I saw the onlookers whispering to each other. Carefully, as to not draw notice, I idly wandered closer. </p><p>“They are still children, they act so confident, so controlled, so mature and responsible, taking on the burdens of the world, that it’s all too easy to forget, they are all still children.”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>